Mattingly: Vols have score to settle with these 10

What do North Texas State, Nebraska, Kansas State, Baylor, Dartmouth, VMI, Southern Cal, Purdue, Pittsburgh, and Colorado have in common?

The Vols haven't beaten any of these schools.

Never.

The Vols are suffering through what the baseball folks call an "o-fer."

To rectify this imbalance, let's beat the drum for future games with these schools.

Here's how things have happened historically.

The Vols are 0-1 against North Texas, the school now known as the University of North Texas, considering an embarrassing 21-14 loss at Neyland Stadium Oct. 25, 1975, to the "Mean Green." That came a week after the Vols had lost 30-7 to Alabama at Legion Field.

Tennessee trailed most of the day, but rallied to tie at 14 inside the final five minutes. Then Sears Woods returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a score, and the Vols ended up losing, despite nearly 500 yards total offense. Hayden Fry coached against the Vols at three schools (North Texas, Iowa and SMU) and grabbed the brass ring this day.

The Vols are 0-2 against Nebraska, with losses in the 1998 Orange Bowl (42-17) and the 2000 Fiesta Bowl (31-21). The losses came on either end of the 1998 national championship season. Nebraska just lined up and had their way, playing a physical brand of football. The 1997 contest was the finale for Cornhuskers coach Tom Osborne after 25 years, so the 25-point margin was quite appropriate. Thinking back on the two games, maybe it's better to let sleeping Nebraskans lie.

The Vols are 0-1 against Kansas State, by virtue of a 35-21 loss in the 2001 Cotton Bowl. Vol highlights that day were Chavis Smith, then a defensive tackle, tipping a Wildcats pass that Jabari Greer returned 78 yards for a touchdown and Travis Henry running 81 yards for a score late in the game. The loss broke a six-game winning streak the Vols had produced under the leadership of freshman quarterback Casey Clausen.

The Vols are 0-1 against Baylor. That record dates to the 1957 Sugar Bowl. Final score: Baylor 13, Tennessee 7. Bears quarterback Bob Jones led the way in an outcome Baylor backers didn't really consider an upset. In one of those ironies of history, Jones became a Tennessee assistant, who was killed in that Oct. 18, 1965, car-train wreck. This was also the day Baylor's Larry Hickman kicked Vols guard Bruce Burnham in the head, with Bruce nearly dying on the field as a result.

The Vols are 0-1 against Dartmouth, the result of a 14-3 loss Oct. 15, 1921, in Hanover, N.H. That was so long ago it was on the "Third Saturday in October," and Alabama was nowhere to be found. Two years later, VMI put a 33-0 loss on the Vols on Nov. 17, 1923, and has not been on the schedule since. M. Beal Banks was the head coach both seasons.

Southern Cal, Lane Kiffin's former school, is 4-0 against Tennessee, dating to the 1940 and 1945 Rose Bowls (14-0 and 25-0 Trojans wins, respectively), 1940 being the first foray to the West Coast for a UT football team. There also were games in 1980 and 1981 won by the Trojans, a close one in Knoxville, 20-17, and a 43-7 loss at the Los Angeles Coliseum a year later.

Jeff Fisher, head coach of the Tennessee Titans, was the culprit in 1980, making a key interception that led to the game-winning field goal. The game at the Los Angeles Coliseum nearly wore out the famed USC steed named "Traveler," who galloped around the field each time the Trojans scored.

Purdue took a narrow win (27-22) at the 1979 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl, despite a dazzling comeback led by Jimmy Streater, James Berry (father of Eric), and Hubert Simpson.

Pittsburgh won twice in Neyland Stadium in 1980 (30-6) and 1983 (13-0). Willie Gault had a 100-yard kickoff return for a score in the 1980 game.

Tennessee and Colorado tied 31-31 in the 1990 season opener at the Disneyland Pigskin Classic at Anaheim Stadium, the baseball field stretching from first base to left field. Tennessee twice trailed by 14 in the fourth quarter, but Andy Kelly, Carl Pickens, and Alvin Harper led the rally to gain the deadlock.

Colorado won a part of the national championship that season, but John Majors thinks had Chuck Webb not been injured against Pacific the next Saturday, the Vols could have done likewise.

Those are teams Tennessee has never beaten.

It's time to balance the accounts.

Scheduling games with Dartmouth and VMI might be a bit iffy, but, with the others, where there's a will, there's a way.

Tom Mattingly is the author of "The Tennessee Football Vault: The Story of the Tennessee Volunteers, 1891-2006" (2006), available now in second edition, and "Tennessee Football: The Peyton Manning Years" (1998). Comments may be sent to tjmshm@comcast.net. His News Sentinel blog is called "The Vol Historian."

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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